


Make Me Feel Like I'm Home

by PrettyInSoulPunk



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Getting Back Together, M/M, Post Break-up, but only for a split second
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 03:29:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14275974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyInSoulPunk/pseuds/PrettyInSoulPunk
Summary: So if we knew all along, why did it take so long?Or the one where Harry texts Niall after the BRITs since they were both in London.Written forClaudia, my writing muse and Narry inspiration. ♥





	Make Me Feel Like I'm Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Claudii85](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claudii85/gifts).



_**Are you in London?** _

The sudden buzzing of his text alert startles Niall into almost dropping his phone on his face while he's scrolling through it. 

Harry. Of course it's Harry. He must be in town too, but it wasn't for the BRITs. Niall was there and had made sure to look for him just in case since he knew he'd been nominated. Still, Niall isn't surprised to hear from him after months of radio silence; this is so incredibly _Harry_ of him. Not speaking to Niall for months at a time and then turning Niall's world on its axis with a simple four-word text.

_**yeah mate just got home actually . you ?** _

_**Yes. You went to the BRITs right?** _

_**yep . congrats on the win H it's well deserved <3** _

Wait, no heart emoji. Scratch that; Niall backspaces quickly and replaces it with a simple smiley. Harry has to earn the hearts back.

_**Thank you. I kind of wish I had gone now.** _

Niall sidesteps that landmine and pointedly doesn't ask why. There's a small flutter in his stomach, but there usually is when he's thinking about Harry. 

_**did you watch ? it was good but felt a bit weird not all bein there together** _

Niall aggressively erases that last part too because that's a wound that doesn't need poking at right now. 

_**Of course. While I had a bubble bath and drank fancy champagne.** _

_**of course :p** _

Of _course_ Harry would put that image into Niall's head because he always been good with words. Or awful, depending on how you look at it.

_**Stop picturing me in the bath, Niall.** _

That shocks a laugh out of Niall, and he quickly fires back a reply. 

_**dont flatter urself haz :p** _

It always comes down to this. To Harry initiating the flirting and confusing both Niall's head and heart. He desperately wants to flirt back, but he doesn't. He knows it will only hurt that much more when there's another long break between their contact. 

_**I don't need to. You've seen me in the bath before and I remember how you would look at me. ;)** _

_**harold !** _

Niall wants to hate him, but it's futile. If he could, he would have hated him over two years ago when Harry shattered his heart into so many pieces that Niall didn't ever think it would be whole again. There are probably still a few cracks in it, but Niall has finally made peace with everything they've been through. They've worked things out for the most part, and its nice that they've been able to retain some semblance of what their friendship was before they started dating. Plus, writing Flicker (both the album and the song) had certainly helped to give Niall a creative outlet for his pain as well as a sense of closure. 

Harry hadn't actually meant to break his heart, thankfully. They just wanted very different things at the time, and Harry wasn't ready to be exclusive. Niall gets it; Harry's life can often be a revolving door of admirers, and Niall's definitely isn't. Niall loves being in a relationship and has never gotten the hang of casual sex. It's just not his style, but he's never judged Harry for his preferences. 

Admittedly, Niall wishes he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve so he could enjoy a bit of the adventurous rock star lifestyle on occasion.

_**Yes, Niall?** _

Niall can easily imagine Harry's cheeky grin as he types out his messages. He's such a little shit, but Niall can't deny that he's not loving this.

 _ **ur a twat sometimes**_ , is what Niall replies with because he doesn't trust himself to flirt back. He could, but he knows they're already skating on thin ice as it is, and he's just happy that things are good between them. In some ways, it feels like old times but all of the hurt and sadness still simmers under the surface of Niall's skin and he just can't forget as easily as Harry has seemed to. 

_**Only sometimes?** _

_**most of the time :p** _

_**I want to see you. Can I, please?** _

Always so polite, Harry is. Even during the worst of their arguments, Harry has never once been cruel. He, unlike Niall, thinks before he speaks so he doesn't accidentally say something he can never take back. Niall is the stubborn one, with a sharp tongue and Irish obstinacy.

_**tonight ?** _

_**Please. If it's not too late for you? Or we could have breakfast tomorrow?** _

_**or both**_ , Niall replies on a fleeting whim of bravery. He wishes he could unsend the message immediately but he can see that Harry is already writing back.

 ** _Are you suggesting a sleepover?_** and then, before Niall has a chance to answer, _**Don't have an aneurysm, I'm kidding.**_

_**are ya done bein a twat ?** _

_**Probably not, no.** _

_**now ur just takin the piss** _

_**Probably so, yes.** _

Niall can't help the smile that spreads across his face. He missed this, missed Harry. His Harry. He's missed their friendship most of all, and especially how easy and uncomplicated it used to be. Things have definitely changed, but Niall is optimistic that they can eventually get back to how they were once upon a time. He hates that he still feels so cautious around Harry like he's not sure how he should be acting or what's acceptable behavior for ex-boyfriends. Not only has Niall not remained friends with any of his other exes, but he's never dated a guy before Harry. There had been some flirting and maybe a snog or two, but never a proper boyfriend so he's honestly a bit out of his depth here. 

_**just come before I change my mind :p** _

_**I already came twice in the bath. ;)** _

_**HAZZA !!!** _

_**You totally set yourself up for that one, love. Be there in a bit.** _

Well, fuck. Niall thought he might see Harry at the Brits, but he definitely wasn't expecting him to come over and hang out. Now he has to scramble to make himself look presentable because Harry's London house isn't very far away. Thankfully Niall had showered when he first got home so he quickly throws together what he hopes is a decent outfit. He doesn't want to look like a slob, but he also doesn't want Harry thinking he got dressed up just for him. After a quick debate, Niall finally settles on a soft gray T-shirt, and his favorite pair of jeans. His hair is still damp from the shower, but Niall runs a comb through it and adds a bit of gel for texture. It's weird not having Lou around to do his hair for him all the time, but he's gotten pretty good at styling it himself. Sometimes he even sends her a selfie when he feels like he's done a particularly good job on it. 

Harry still isn't there yet but finally, Niall is ready. Physically, anyway. Emotionally, not so much. He steals a quick glance in the mirror to make sure he looks okay, and then he sits and waits. He contemplates having a beer but then decides against it. He's not sure if Harry has any specific reason for wanting to come over, and Niall thinks he should probably have a clear head just in case. After two minutes of painful silence, he picks up the nearest guitar and starts to play. He can't just sit around doing nothing or he'll start biting his nails again. It's a nasty habit that he's mostly broken so he needs to keep his hands occupied. He decides to play _Flicker_ because it's his most favorite song that he's written and he feels like it's fitting for the current state of his life. 

When the last notes fade out, Niall is startled by a familiar voice coming from behind him. 

"Wow, that was incredible," Harry says and steps into view.

"Jesus Christ, Haz! You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack," Niall says, carefully setting his guitar down and turning to face Harry. 

"Sorry, Ni; I still have my key, remember?" he says, holding it up as proof. "You really ought to change your locks if you don't want strange men letting themselves in to listen to your angelic voice."

"You're not a strange man," Niall says because it's all he can think of and he really hopes he isn't blushing. 

"Debatable," Harry smiles, holding his arms out. He looks unfairly gorgeous as usual, wearing an old Pink Floyd T-shirt and skinny jeans. He must have taken his coat off in the front hallway though because it's February in London and it's freezing out. 

Niall practically launches himself at Harry and wraps him up in the tightest hug. He knows he should tamp down his enthusiasm, but he just can't help it. He's missed Harry so damn much and it feels good to hold him again. He smells like a delicious combination of the cold night air and his usual Tom Ford cologne, and Niall is hit by relentless waves of nostalgia.

"Miss me?" Harry laughs and winds his arms tightly around Niall's neck. 

"A bit," Niall lies, because it's the understatement of the year. Every time he and Harry are apart, there's a burning in Niall's chest that has nothing to do with the acid reflux he always suffers from and everything to do with missing Harry. "Even if you're a twat," he adds because humor is always Niall's default in tense situations.

"I missed you too," Harry murmurs against his ear before pulling back and detangling himself from Niall's arms. 

"Can I get you anything? Beer? Food?" Niall asks, a bit uncertain since he hasn't exactly stocked the kitchen yet. He figures he can throw something together, but Harry is shaking his head anyway. 

"I'm fine, thank you. Will you sit with me?" he asks, taking Niall's hand into his own and guiding them back over to the couch. 

"Okay, we're sitting," Niall says, stating the obvious as if it wasn't Harry's idea. "What now?"

"Play me something else?" Harry sounds hopeful as he passes Niall's guitar over. 

It's not an uncommon request but Niall thought that maybe Harry had wanted to talk, considering he had invited himself over at such a late hour. He doesn't want to press just yet though, so he takes the guitar and starts strumming idly. 

"Any requests?"

"Anything you like." Harry gives him a tired smile as he slips his shoes off and then snuggles into the cozy warmth of Niall's couch. 

Niall thinks for a minute, and then starts playing the familiar chords of _Landslide_ , because it's a mutual favorite of theirs. 

Harry's eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning, and Niall has missed being able to make him look like that. 

"Beautiful," Harry slurs about a minute in, and Niall can see his eyelids drooping a bit. He's asleep before Niall finishes the song, but it wouldn't be the first time this has happened. 

Niall still has no idea why Harry wanted to see him or if there even was a particular reason beyond maybe just catching up with each other. He supposes he might find out tomorrow, but that's if Harry is still here in the morning. His track record for sticking around isn't too great, so Niall isn't counting on it. 

Niall grabs one of Harry's favorite blankets and tucks it all around him until he looks like a fluffy burrito with a mop of brown curls sticking out of the top. Accented by sunglasses even, despite the fact that London hasn't seen the actual sun in weeks. Niall has to laugh at that because he's sure that Harry uses sunglasses merely as an accessory at this point. He reaches out to pluck them off of Harry's head and sets them on the coffee table. 

Against all of his better judgment, he bends down with the intent of kissing Harry's forehead but is quite startled to see sleepy green eyes blinking open as he gets closer.

"Love you," Harry mumbles and tilts his face up for a kiss. 

The angle is awkward because Niall had been aiming for Harry's forehead, but he presses their lips together for a brief second before Harry pulls back and passes out again.

In the grand scheme of all their time together, it barely even counts as a kiss. Still, its magical enough to make Niall's lips tingle and he feels a bit light headed. Maybe that's because he hasn't eaten in several hours, but he's pretty sure it's mostly because of Harry. Niall knows it doesn't mean anything though because Harry was practically asleep and probably won't even remember it in the morning. 

After tucking Harry in, Niall quickly retreats to his bedroom but he leaves the door open slightly just in case. He has a clear view of the couch from his bed, and he spends a few minutes just watching Harry sleep. The living room is fairly dark so Niall can't see much, but just knowing Harry is there is more than enough for him. Once Niall is certain that Harry isn't going to wake up suddenly, he finally allows himself to relax enough to drift off to sleep. 

He wakes up around eight-thirty and is surprised by the fact that not only is Harry still there, but he's still asleep. He doesn't even seem to have moved even an inch, either. Harry's always been a pretty sound sleeper, though. Niall is the fidgety one and usually ends up tossing and turning several times before he settles. 

Niall knows that Harry's sleeping patterns are shitty at best, so he silently makes his way to the kitchen to brew up some coffee and see what he can put together for breakfast. The smell of food will undoubtedly wake Harry naturally, and Niall loves to cook. Or loves to try, anyway because he's not always as successful as he wants to be. 

He has all the ingredients to make pancakes, including milk even because he's learned to switch to the shelf-stable boxed kind when he knows he'll be away for weeks or months at a time. He doesn't have eggs, but he compensates with a touch of oil and he knows they'll both slather them in butter and syrup anyway. 

He's just flipping the first batch when a pair of arms slide around his waist and a soft kiss is pressed to the side of his neck.

"Morning, sunshine."

How Niall manages not to destroy the pancakes in his obvious shock is beyond him. He gets them flipped through, and then turns around to face Harry. 

"Is scaring me half to death becoming a habit for you now?" he asks, while teasingly pointing his spatula in Harry's face. 

"No, it's more like a hobby because you make it too easy," Harry winks and reaches for Niall's cup of coffee. Niall likes his a lot sweeter than Harry does, but he perks up instantly at the first sip and seems to enjoy it.

"You realize I made a cup for you too right?" Niall asks while turning his attention back to the pancakes before they burn.

"Yours always tastes much better," Harry says between sips and Niall can just picture the lopsided grin on his face even though he's got his back to him.

"Yeah, yeah," Niall laughs and finishes up the last of the pancakes. When they're done, he takes them over to his kitchen table and makes himself another cup of coffee. "Eat up," he says, handing Harry the syrup and sliding over the butter dish. 

"Thank you, these look amazing. When did you get to be such a great cook?" 

"You might want to actually try one before you go singing my praises, mate," Niall suggests and starts cutting into his food.

"Holy shit, these _are_ amazing," Harry all but moans as he shovels bites into his mouth and licks the syrup from his lips. 

_Oh God_. Niall is a good person and doesn't deserve this. 

"Thanks, H. I reckon they could have been worse," he says, before taking big gulp of his coffee. It's not as good as the first cup he made but he's secretly glad that Harry seemed to enjoy that one.

"Seriously incredible," Harry smiles as he helps himself to a third pancake. 

It pleases Niall endlessly that Harry likes the food because he wanted Harry to have a homemade breakfast that wasn't Starbucks coffee. They end up eating all the pancakes, and Harry even helps Niall clean up before they head back to the living room. It's still early, so nothing good is on TV yet but Niall switches it on anyway for background noise. 

"So are you going to tell me when you started taking secret cooking lessons?" Harry asks when they've made themselves comfortable.

"I swear I haven't. You know how I cook; a little of this, a pinch of that. Sometimes it works, sometimes doesn't but you can't fuck pancakes up too badly, I suppose."

"Keep cooking like that, and I may never leave," Harry teases, turning to give Niall a sweet smile. 

Niall knows it's meant to be a joke, but it still feels like a punch in the gut. _Is that all it would take?_ he thinks but doesn't dare say. They're in a good place now and the last thing Niall wants is to ruin that. 

"You don't like to settle down anywhere for too long," Niall says truthfully and hopes it doesn't sound harsh. Harry is still smiling at him so at least he knows he hasn't overstepped his boundaries.

"I just might for more of those pancakes," Harry smirks and nudges Niall's shoulder. 

It's comfortably silent for a moment before Harry speaks up again.

"I'm sorry I passed out on you last night. I haven't been sleeping very well at all lately and I..." he trails off when he realizes that he's not quite sure how to finish the sentence. 

"You what?" Niall asks, shifting his body so that they're facing each other on the couch. 

"I just... I knew if I was with you that it would help me sleep," Harry says nervously. "It's been days."

"That boring am I?" Niall jokes to ease the tension because he can tell Harry feels embarrassed. 

"No, of course not, Ni. Never. You just... you always..." Harry falters as he tries to find the right words. 

"Relax, I'm just teasin' ya," Niall says, reaching for Harry's hand and squeezing it gently. 

Harry does relax considerably then and tries again. "I always sleep better when I'm with you," he squeezes Niall's hand back and takes a deep breath, "You make me feel safe."

Niall has absolutely no idea what to do with that because he's afraid they might be treading back on dangerous ground. They broke up for a reason (or several, really) and Niall isn't sure that he can handle another bumpy ride on the relationship roller coaster. Not to say that Harry is insinuating anything of the sort, but everything about this visit has felt intimate in ways that it hasn't been between them for a very long time. Playful flirting is one thing, but this feels like a lot more than just that. 

"I'm glad I can help," is what Niall finally says and softly rubs his thumb across the back of Harry's hand. "Although you didn't even sleep in the same room with me, so how does that work exactly?" 

"We don't actually have to sleep _together_ , just in the same place," Harry says quietly. "It helps to know you're around like it always did when we were on tour."

Suddenly Niall's mind flashes to all the times when Harry had snuck into his bed, or even just his hotel room when they had separate ones, and fell asleep on the floor. Inevitably Niall would always almost step on him when he got up to pee in the middle of the night, and then he'd force Harry to get into the bed properly. Niall can also recall several instances of being squashed into Harry's bunk on the bus because Harry wanted a cuddle buddy.

"I'm glad it helps, but what exactly do you plan on doing when we're back L.A.?" Niall asks seriously because it's something to consider. 

"Figured I'd cross that bridge when I got to it," Harry replies and flops backward against the couch cushions. "It's not always this bad, I guess I've just missed you a lot lately," he admits. 

Niall feels an odd mixture of dread and excitement. It's confusing because he knows he shouldn't be reading too much into this, but he can't help it. He's still so ridiculously in love with Harry and has always held onto a secret hope that they might work things out someday. 

"I've been missing you too, Pet." The nickname is so familiar that it rolls right off Niall's tongue before he even realizes he's said it. It's been a while since he's called Harry that, not since they were still together. He hadn't actually meant to say it but he can't take it back now. 

It's the nickname that finally causes something to break inside of Harry, and he crawls over to Niall until he can bury his face against his neck. He doesn't speak at first, just breathes Niall in and lets the familiarity wash over him. "I'm so sorry," he mumbles against Niall's skin as hot tears begin rolling down his face. 

Sorry for what, Niall doesn't know. Sorry for leaving him? For breaking his heart? For getting emotional? The variables are endless, and Niall feels guilty for upsetting him. 

A sad Harry is depressing enough but a crying Harry is just devastating. Niall has never been able to handle tears very well, whether they were from his fans or his friends. He just hates to see people cry, and especially because of him. 

"I've got you, love," Niall whispers into Harry's hair as he wraps him up in a comforting hug. He figures that Harry needs this, so he just remains silent and rubs soothing circles on Harry's back.

Harry cries until he begins to hiccup, and his nose starts running in the most embarrassing way. 

Niall doesn't comment on it, even though he can feel an unpleasant wetness against his neck which he knows isn't just tears. _That's love_ , he finds himself thinking because the only thing that matters right now is making Harry feel better. He hugs Harry tighter against him and decides to do the one thing that usually helps calm Harry down: he sings. He settles on _Little Things_ before he can even consider the implication of the lyrics because it's always been one of his favorites. He's also come to think of it as their song, in a way, since they've serenaded each other practically every time they performed it live. 

Harry's breath hitches as Niall sings, and he finally stops crying. He doesn't look up yet, but he nuzzles Niall's neck and presses soft kisses against it. At every mention of _I'm in love with you_ , Niall can feel Harry tense up. He wishes he knew what Harry was thinking, but there's plenty of time to ask once Harry is feeling better. 

Niall doesn't get to finish the song though, because suddenly Harry's head snaps up and his hands are on Niall's face, holding him carefully. He gives Niall a few seconds to pull away, but Niall doesn't. He knows what Harry looks like when he's about to kiss him, and Niall braces himself for it.

The kiss, when it finally comes, is so gentle. It's almost as if Harry's afraid that kissing Niall will break some sort of spell between them. He merely presses their lips together, but he keeps his hold on Niall's face, fingertips rubbing slowly against Niall's cheeks. One quick press turns into two, and then Niall is opening up for Harry's mouth as they melt into one another. 

Niall knows he shouldn't be doing this, but it's _Harry_ , and this is all Niall has wanted since they broke up. 

They kiss for a few brief seconds before Niall cautiously breaks their contact and leans his forehead against Harry's. "Was this why you wanted to see me last night?" he asks bluntly, but he winds his arms around Harry's neck to keep him close.

"Honestly no, not at all," Harry says and Niall tries not to feel disappointed. They really shouldn't be doing this, so he should be relieved that Harry wasn't actively trying to seduce him.

"Not last night, anyway," Harry continues and Niall feels another surge of hope. "It's been something I've wanted for a while, but our timing is always off. You're busy, or I'm busy or we never seem to be in the same place at the same time. We're here now though and I just wanted..." he trails off and pulls Niall in for another kiss. This one is decidedly less gentle as Harry slides his tongue into Niall's mouth and kisses him deeply. 

Harry tastes like pancake syrup and coffee, and it's intoxicating. It's several minutes before they come up for air, but Harry breaks the kiss this time and then scoots back to create some space between them. 

"I know I should be sorry for doing that, but I'm not," Harry smiles which makes Niall's heart feel like it's doing comical flips inside of his chest. "I've just been missing this so much." He tries to lean forward again, but Niall cuts him off abruptly. 

"Haz," Niall starts, and reaches for Harry's hands, holding them tight. "We were always good together, that was never the problem. You weren't ready to settle down though, and you wanted to see other people remember? Keep it casual?"

"I've thought about that a lot lately," Harry says while squeezing Niall's hands. "Plus, that was ages ago. The band had just gone on break, and we were both starting to write our own music. We had a lot going on, and I was afraid I couldn't give you what you wanted. Not then, anyway. Does that make any sense?" Harry looks hopeful.

"Of course; it makes a lot of sense, but what's changed now? We're both still making music, still writing and recording, we're both about to go on big tours next month, and we're still hardly ever in the same place at the same time. How is this any different from where we left off?" 

"Well, when you put it like that..." Harry trails off as his eyes well up with tears again. "I guess you're right. Clearly, I haven't sorted this out as well as I thought I had." 

"Oh no, please don't cry, my love," Niall says quickly, as he pulls Harry in for another soft kiss. He realizes that he's contradicting himself by kissing Harry again, but it's too painful to see him cry. The kiss is brief and then Niall pulls Harry flush against him and presses several more quick kisses all over his face. 

It makes Harry laugh, and he relaxes just a fraction as he settles into Niall's arms. 

"Am I still your love?" Harry asks in a shaky voice. "I know I probably don't deserve to be, not with everything I've put you through, but do you still love me?"

"Harry," Niall tilts Harry's face up and rubs their noses together. "You're the only person that I've ever truly loved, and I've never stopped. Not for a single second," he adds. "Nothing we've been through has ever changed that, and you're still the love of my life." 

"You're still mine too, Ni, and you have been for a very long time. I think it really hit me that day when we had that silly fight at my mum's house and we didn't talk to each other practically all evening. Remember that?"

"Oh my god, I could never forget," Niall says, shaking with laughter. He remembers it very clearly because Anne had thought they were breaking up when they weren't even a couple yet. They had only been eighteen, staying at Harry's place for the weekend and ended up fighting over something so silly that Niall can't even recall what it was about now. What he does remember is Anne sitting them down and explaining that they mean too much to each other to break up over such an insignificant reason. They had been so amused by her assumptions that they burst out laughing and just like that, the fight had been forgotten.

"I still can't believe she thought we were secretly dating," Harry says fondly. "But in hindsight, I can see why. We always shared my bed even though there was a spare for you, and we've always been affectionate with each other," he continues, smiling at the memory. 

"I'm pretty sure everyone thought we were together," Niall replies, rocking Harry in his arms. "Liam used to grill me about it all the time as if we'd actually keep that from them."

"That's when I knew I was in love with you," Harry says, before kissing Niall's neck. "We were both so stubborn, but I was hurting a lot. And I remember thinking that it shouldn't hurt so much to be mad at someone who's just your mate. I knew we'd resolve things eventually but it felt like I couldn't breathe the whole time. I really wanted to kiss you that night, when we were lying in my bed later," Harry finishes and brushes his lips against Niall's cheek. 

"I would have definitely wanted you to," Niall nods, reaching up to card his fingers through Harry's short curls. 

"When did you know you loved me?" Harry asks suddenly, full of curiosity as he pulls back so he can meet Niall's eyes. 

"On some level, I think I always knew, but it really it me when I had to have surgery," Niall blushes and buries his face against Harry's shoulder. That was over four years ago before they had started dating. "Not just afterward, but even before. You were so supportive and came to a bunch of my pre-surgery appointments with me. You held my hand when they took blood, and you were there for me literally every step of the way during my recovery. It meant everything to me," Niall straightens back up and leans into Harry's space. 

"So you still love me," Harry grins and wraps his arms around Niall's neck.

"And you still love _me_ ," Niall follows suit and slides his arms around Harry's waist. "But what are we going to do about it? We can't ignore all the issues we had in the past, Haz."

"No, you're right, we can't," Harry agrees. "I'd like to try though. I mean, not ignoring our issues, but working through them. I don't want to be with anyone else, Niall. You're it for me," Harry replies, resting their foreheads together. 

"You're it for me too, and I really want to make this work but we've both got to put effort into it. For starters, we need to spend more time in L.A. together since we're both bloody idiots who live minutes apart and yet never see each other."

"Agreed," Harry smiles and moves to place a kiss right on the tip of Niall's cute nose, causing him to scrunch it up adorably. 

"I just really don't want to hold you back, love. You weren't ready to give up seeing other people back then, so are you sure you want to now?" Niall asks while pulling back and forcing Harry to look at him.

"Honestly Ni, it's the only thing I'm one-hundred percent sure of. Our lives are still a crazy mess most days, but being with you is all I want. Just you, exclusively. I know we've still got a lot to sort out, but I want you. I want this, _us_ , if you'll have me back, darling?" Harry pleads. 

Could it really be this easy? Niall is suddenly flooded with so much hope that he's dizzy with it.

"Sounds like you're asking me to go steady," Niall grins and reaches out to tickle Harry's sides. "Gonna carry my books for me too?" he adds, while Harry shrieks with laughter. 

"NIALL!" Harry is flushed and panting hard which admittedly isn't the way Niall prefers to get that reaction out of him, but he'll take it. 

"Make me," Niall challenges. He knows it's cheesy, but he doesn't care. They might as well be trapped in their own ridiculous rom-com right now and Niall is more than okay with that.

"You asked for it." Harry gives him a playful shove backward until Niall is pressed into the corner of the couch with a giggling Harry crawling into his lap. 

"Hi," Niall breathes as Harry straddles his hips and surges forward until they're kissing again. It's wet and messy, but so good as their mouths slide together and Niall reaches out to brace himself against Harry's thighs. 

"Hello, beautiful," Harry whispers against Niall's mouth as they part, and sits back so that they're facing each other. 

Niall blushes all the way to the tips of his ears and leans up to press his face against Harry's chest. He feels ridiculous, like a teenager with a crush except what he feels for Harry is so much more than that. 

"You are so bloody precious," Harry says, reaching down to rub Niall's cheek.  
"And I love you so much." 

"I love you too, Pet," Niall says, smiling softly. "And of course I'll have you back. We've just got to communicate better when we're away from each other, and make _us_ more of a priority when we're together. We'll find the balance, I promise."

For the first time in over two years, Niall finally feels whole again.

"I promise too, my love." It's Harry's turn to blush as he leans back down into Niall's space. "Another kiss please?" he asks sweetly, as he slides his thumb across Niall's bottom lip.

Niall happily obliges, and it's the most memorable kiss yet. He's got the love of his life in his arms, and all of his remaining doubts are driven right from his mind. He knows they still have a lot to work out, but this is where he wants to be. Where he's _meant_ to be. 

They keep kissing until the sound of Niall's phone ringing shocks them apart. He can see that it's Liam calling, and just as he accepts the call, he also notices several missed text alerts popping up. 

"What's the craic, Payno? Sorry I missed your -- "

"What the fuck, mate? I was just about to come over and check on you; I've been texting you for ages," Liam practically shouts into the phone. 

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was busy," Niall says, giving Harry a wink. He does feel bad that he's obviously upset Liam, but he knows that Liam can never stay mad at him for too long. 

"Busy doing what?" Liam snaps, clearly annoyed. 

"It's a long story, but I promise I wasn't ignoring you. Do you want to have coffee later and we'll talk?" Niall asks and pointedly ignores Harry's pouty expression. He knows that look, it means that Harry doesn't want to share him with anyone else just yet. It makes his heart swell, but he also doesn't want to miss a chance to hang out with Liam for a bit if they can.

"Yeah, suppose I could do coffee," Liam replies, sounding marginally less upset which Niall is grateful for. 

"Would you mind if I brought my boyfriend?" _Might as well get it over with_ , Niall thinks, while holding up the phone so that he and Harry can both hear his reaction. They hadn't exactly discussed telling anyone yet, but Harry doesn't seem upset which is a relief. He looks thrilled, actually. 

"Your what now? How the hell did you manage to get a boyfriend in the few short hours since I saw you last?" Liam is definitely shouting now, but he doesn't sound upset. Impressed, maybe.

Instead of answering, Niall hits the FaceTime button and waits for Liam to connect. 

"I told you it's a long story," Niall repeats just as Liam's face pops into view. It's then that Harry crowds into Niall's space and nuzzles his cheek like a happy kitten. 

"Hi, Li," Harry says, grinning smugly before tilting Niall's face toward his own and kissing him slowly. He keeps it chaste, but it gets his point across very clearly. 

"Wow. I sure didn't see that coming," Liam admits, but he looks genuinely happy for them.

"Well no one's actually come yet," Harry frowns. "I was just about to fix that when you interrupted."

"Oh my _God_ ," Liam groans. 

"Were you now?" Niall turns to Harry and smirks. 

Liam makes a disgusted face at them. "That is entirely more information than I needed to know lads, but I'm really and truly happy for you both." 

"I've been dying to get my mouth all over you since I got here," Harry whispers, nudging Niall's cheek and brushing his thumb across Niall's lower lip.

"I'm still here!" Liam snaps while making a show of covering his eyes with one hand. "Are we on for coffee or not?"

"Absolutely," Harry nods and wraps his arms around Niall's neck. "I'm going to need a few hours to be naked with my boyfriend first, so how about we meet up around two?"

"On one condition," Liam says. "As happy for you both as I am, I don't need the kinky details all right, mates?" 

"Fine," Harry playfully rolls his eyes and stifles a laugh. "We'll just send you the videos."

"Harry!" Liam and Niall both shout simultaneously as Harry dissolves into a fit of giggles.

"You both really make this too easy," Harry giggles and rests his head against Niall's shoulder so that he's still facing the phone.

"Why do I put up with you two?" Liam groans again, but his smile suggests that he's anything but annoyed.

"You love us," Niall and Harry reply in unison. They turn to grin at each other and Harry holds his hand out for a celebratory fist bump. 

"Oh my God," Liam actually face-palms, "I'm hanging up now before you two get any cuter. I'll see you around two, yeah?" he asks, looking doubtful. Not that he doesn't think they'd want to meet up with him, but he doesn't seem entirely convinced that they won't be too wrapped up with each other to remember. 

"We'll be there," Niall promises and ends the call. 

"We have about three hours before we have to meet Liam," Harry points out as he checks the time on his own phone. "What could we possibly do in three whole hours?"

"Well now that you mention it, I've really been meaning to install those new bookshelves that I bought months ago," Niall teases and leans in to kiss his way up Harry's neck and jaw, biting lightly. 

"That's one option," Harry nods and tilts his head to give Niall better access. "Or," he turns to brush his lips against Niall's ear, "we can have a shower together and see how many times we can get each other off."

Niall only owns three books, so the shelves can definitely wait. 

~*~

"Can I ask you something?" Harry asks a while later when they're wrapped up in bed together. They've still got about an hour before they need to meet Liam, and they've been using their time incredibly wisely.

"Anything," Niall says and reaches for Harry's hand. He takes it into his own and threads their fingers together. 

"Did I kiss you last night? Maybe I dreamt it, but it felt so real," Harry says, while turning to face Niall. 

"Yeah, you did," Niall smiles at the memory. "You woke up for a second just as I was covering you up, and then you kissed me." 

"Did I do anything else?" Harry asks, blinking slowly at him in that adorable way of his.

Niall reaches out and cups Harry's cheek gently. "You told me you love me."

"I do love you. Always, darling. Even when I'm barely conscious," Harry leans forward and kisses Niall's nose. 

"I always love you too, Pet." Niall cradles Harry's face in his hands and kisses him until they're both breathless. 

~*~

They end up being late to meet Liam, but they both look so ridiculously happy that he can't even be upset about it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! All comments are appreciated, and you can come talk Narry to me over **[here](http://prettyinsoulpunk.tumblr.com/)** :D


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